


writing the future

by CapnShellhead



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: AU, Babies, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-16 14:24:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16087934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CapnShellhead/pseuds/CapnShellhead
Summary: Tony visits orphanages on the anniversary of his mother’s death. Bucky follows him one year.





	writing the future

**Author's Note:**

> So, of course I borrowed this concept from the comic Invincible Iron Man, where we find out Tony visits orphanages to hold babies. I thought it would be a cute idea to apply to the MCU. This was a quick little ficlet I wrote and never turned into anything more. 
> 
> Drop me a line! Let me know what you think!

It became a tradition after that first year.

December 15th, Tony would do research and make arrangements. December 16th, he would visit the orphanages to present the donation in person. He donated a lot of money in his mother’s name; all causes she supported when she was alive. STEM programs for young girls, women’s shelters, and orphanages in low income areas. It didn’t soothe the ache in his chest that reoccurred every December, but it helped. This was a yearly tradition for him and when Bucky and he had become friends, Tony had been hesitant to share that.

He didn’t want Bucky to feel like he was responsible for his mother’s death. Admittedly, even knowing what he knew about Hydra and the Winter Soldier, it had been hard for him to look at Bucky for some time after. After Thanos, Tony tracked him down to apologize for that night in Siberia. It wasn’t easy and Bucky tried to shut him down every time he tried. As far as he was concerned, Tony didn’t owe him anything. It took months for Tony’s words to set in. Months during which he was using B.A.R.F to try to rid Bucky’s mind of the trigger words.

At some point, they’d grown closer during that process. Tony hadn’t realized how close until Bucky introduced him as his “friend” and it felt right. They were friends now. Friends that went through something incredibly terrible and traumatic and were now helping each other recover from that. They were also friends that teased each other for being a drama queen (Tony) and being completely unoriginal in their outfit choices (Bucky).

Now, after 2 years of that friendship, December 16th had come and Tony was he doesn’t know how to approach the topic with Bucky. They lived in the Mansion together and he would certainly notice if Tony just disappeared for a day. So, he’d made an excuse about a R & D Meeting and made the arrangements. He couldn’t hide a trip out of the country so he found an orphanage in New York. When he left that morning, he passed Bucky asleep on a couch in the living room. His hair was a tangled mess, spread out across the pillows as he snored, bundled in a blanket. He looked soft and warm and Tony wanted to keep him that way. No use bringing up old wounds.

 

 

He’s touring the location when he feels it; the familiar sensation of eyes following him from room to room. He casually reaches down for his wrist gauntlet, ready to fire if need be. He turns quickly, raising his arm but he knows exactly who’s staring back at him.

Bucky.

He drops his arm with a sigh, palming his chest as his heart rate calms. Bucky’s watching him with a rather sheepish expression, a hand on the back of his head. “Hey, Tony. You brought weapons to an orphanage?”

“I’m Iron Man and I’ve read comic books. No one cares where I am if they want to come after me.” He deactivates his wrist gauntlet as Bucky pulls him into a hug. He turns a few times, getting a better look at their surroundings: all the children’s drawings on the walls, the pictures of kids with adoptive parents and the trips to the zoo and local parks. “What are you doing here?”

“I was in the neighborhood and I thought I’d stop by.” A pause, his eyes hesitant. “See where you go every year.”

Tony stiffens but stays close Bucky’s brow rose and he smiled knowingly. “How did you…?”

“Rhodes told me. You go to a place like this every year on this - on this day,” he finishes quietly. Tony braces himself for the question. No, he didn’t blame Bucky for what happened. It took a year and months and months of therapy to get to this point but he did not blame Bucky for what happened to his mother. He’s still not at a place where he can talk about it with Bucky in grave detail and he wasn’t sure he ever would be. It was painful for both of them and never seemed to help anything. “Reminds me of some of the places Steve stayed in.”

“Yeah?” Tony asks, relieved Bucky had changed the subject.

“Yeah, not for long. He came to stay with my family pretty soon after he lost his mom.” The accent always slipped out when he talked about the old days. It made Tony’s heart warm but he would never let Bucky know that. Ask anyone, save Rhodey, and they’d say he’d managed to hide his attraction very well. He didn’t even jokingly hit on Bucky because he was trying to be a more mature person now. And once he started he probably wouldn’t be able to stop.

A woman with long red curls pokes her head into the hallway and smiles. She comes around the corner in a tight pencil skirt and a clipboard in her hand. She holds her hand out as she greets him, “Mr. Stark, I’m Miranda. So lovely to meet you. We are beyond thrilled about your visit today. We cannot thank you enough for the Maria Stark Foundation’s donation to our facility. You really did not have to send us so many toys, as well.”

Tony flushed as he took her hand. “It’s Christmas,” he says, by way of explanation. “It’s what I would have wanted,” he adds with a smile. He’d never really wanted for anything but he didn’t have a lot of toys growing up. He had circuits and gears to practice with. More engines from different types of vehicles to practice working on. It made for more “productive uses of his time”, as Howard would say. Sometimes he wonders if he would have known what to do if he’d gotten model trains and action figures as a kid.

“Would you like a tour?” Miranda asks and Tony nods, remembering at the last second to consult Bucky. He’s staring at one of the drawings and, when Tony gets closer, he sees it’s a drawing of the Avengers fighting some type of green monster. Maybe a Chitauri? Maybe not, it’d been years. Bucky smiles softly, trailing his fingers over the Hulk drawing. He turns when he sees Tony staring at him.

“S’cute,” he says with a shrug. “What?”

“You want to tour?” Tony asks hesitantly. “I usually…” he trails off. He usually tours and they usually let him meet a few of the kids. Sometimes he visited the nurseries where they didn’t have enough attendants to hold all of the children. He’d never forget the first year one of the nuns at an orphanage in Arizona asked him to hold one. He’d nearly jumped out of his skin but when she’d placed the baby in his arms, his nerves slowly calmed and then he was just standing there, swaying slightly as the kid stared at him. Since then, when asked, he holds them.

Bucky seems to sense that this was an awkward request for Tony and just gestures down the hall. “Shall we?”

They’ve taken a few steps before Miranda says, “If you two are looking into adoption, we have some literature I can show you.” Tony trips over his feet and Bucky doesn’t even try to stifle his laugh.

They go around and Miranda shows them the kitchens, the eating area, the play rooms. It’s one of the larger facilities Tony’s been to but he can see the cracked paint and the peeling base boards. They come in on the end of story time with some of the younger kids. Of course, once they see Iron Man, the whole thing is disrupted. The kids run up to him with all kinds of questions and he’s reminded of Harley. He answers them as best he can, shows them the wrist gauntlet once it’s powered down. It goes on for at least an hour and he looks to Bucky helplessly.

“Sorry, this can’t be much fun for you,” he says but Bucky’s mouth quirks up slightly.

“It’s fine, Tony,” he says softly and it was still weird how that tone managed to make Tony feel calmer. Bucky leans against the wall and watches as Tony sits in one of the small chairs and answers questions for another hour.

This facility did have a nursery and Tony and Bucky stand in the doorway while Miranda tells them about it. She asks them to wash their hands and brings them inside. There’s at least 12 kids in cradles, some of them sleeping quietly. Bucky’s staying a few steps behind Tony, clearly uncomfortable. He’s about to ask if Bucky wants to just wait in the hall when Miranda picks up a bundle of pink fabric and motions to hand it to Bucky. His eyes widen, looking to Tony confusedly and Tony has to stifle a laugh.

“Here,” he says and moves Tony’s arms into position. He’s a little stiff but he’s ready when Miranda lays the baby in his arms. He’s so focused, his mouth a thin line as the baby, a little boy, reaches up for his face. There’s a moment where Bucky’s just staring down at this child with such wonder on his face. A moment in which Tony wishes he’d thought to take a picture because it was rare to see Bucky’s face so soft and open. The baby’s eyes are so wide, a deep brown as he blinked at Bucky curiously. Then the novelty wore off and he started blowing bubbles with saliva and playing with his hands.

Tony peeks over Bucky’s shoulder with a smile, “See, not so bad.”

Bucky had to shake himself a little as he looked over at Tony. “You do this every year?” he asks, returning to the baby. He was swaying a little, the way Tony had that first time. Tony rests his chin on his shoulder and watches.

“Every year.” He hesitates and then elaborates further. “These kids don’t have parents to hold them so… I do. It started after I took over the company. Mom made sure some of her charities would be funded after she was gone but Obie ended some of that. I was eighteen and didn’t know everything she supported but I tried to pick ones I thought she would like.”

Bucky nods, his hair covering his face a little and making the baby reach out for it. He laughs, leaning back to keep it from getting pulled. “It’s nice. That you do this, I mean.” His eyes are a bright blue when he turns to Tony again, his smile making Tony’s stomach twist and he felt overly warm. He returns Bucky’s smile with a grin, even wider as Bucky returned to staring at the baby in awe.

 

 

When they leave, it’s dark out. Tony guesses Bucky got a ride here because it was a ways away from the Mansion. Tony drove here and Bucky follows him to the car quietly. He stops Tony with a hand on his shoulder as he’s about to climb inside. “Tony,” he began before cutting himself off. His eyes are wide as he moves in closer. “I know I didn’t give you a choice but thanks for sharing this with me.”

He’s holding himself tightly and it makes Tony’s chest tighten. This wasn’t just a hard day for Tony; it was hard for Bucky, too. As hesitant as he’d been before, he was glad Bucky had come along. “If you want, you can come with me next year, too? It won’t be this one. I like to visit different ones every year.”

Bucky nods, “I’d like that.” He cocked his head to the side, an uncharacteristic nervousness in the lines of his body. “I want to be there for you on this day. In whatever way I can.”

Tony feels warm, his eyes softening as Bucky waits for his response. Tony pulled him into a tight hug, smiling when Bucky holds him close. “Thank you.” He pulled back, pushing Bucky’s hair behind his ears. “But you don’t have to. It wasn’t your fault.”

“I know that,” he says somberly. He holds Tony’s gaze, certain and sincere, “I want to be there for you because I like you.”

Tony swallows, his heart skipping a beat. “You like me?”

He averted his eyes for a second, a light flush coming over his cheeks. Finally, his eyes return to Tony. “For the first time, I have a future to think about and I want you in it,” he says. “I know you’re still working through things and I don’t make it easy but, if it’s okay with you, I want you there.”

Tony smiled, watching Bucky’s eyes soften. “It’s more than okay with me.”

Bucky reaches hesitantly and touches his cheek. He doesn’t have to ask before Tony’s leaning in and their lips touch gently. Tony feels it throughout his body, his heart beating fast in his chest. Bucky’s thumb strokes his cheek softly, painstakingly careful as he pulls back and drops one more kiss on Tony’s lips.

“Let’s go home,” he says with a smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Come visit and send me prompts on [tumblr](https://capn-shellhead.tumblr.com)


End file.
